Multiple plural switch



Au 23 l 2 g 9 7 N. R. MAYozA MULTIPLE PLuAL SWITCH Filed Feb. 4, 1926 INVENTOR Patented Aug.- l1927.

UNITED .sTATEsr PATENT OFFICE.

NATHAN n. MAYYozA, or MEMPHIS,- 'rnNNassna MULTIPLE `PLTJ'BAL SWITCH.

' `Application inleg reeniarya, 192e. serial No. 85,847.

This invention has general reference to a switch for controlling a plurality of electric circuits, and in which provision is made for one or more positions of the control lever in which two or more circuits are closed; but relates more specifically to a form of switch of the said general character which is pary ticularly adapted for ,controlling the audible-visual signals of an automobile. The principal objects of the present invention are First, to provide a switch having a resiliently-movable control-lever by which a plurality of circuits may be closed selectively, and having means, within the switch casing, for retaining 'said lever in a plurality of dii'erent circuit-closing positions,- when moved manuallyv thereto;

Second, to provide such la switch in which certain individualr positions of the control lever result in the closing of a plurality of circuits; and

Third, to provide a switch embodying the foregoing features, and which may be small, compact,'strong and durable, immune from disarrangement from vibration or shock, andy may readily be attached to a hollow support,

.such as a spoke. or the post of the steering? v wheel of an automobile.

The means by which the foregoing and other objects are acoo plished by my lnvencasing.

tion, and the manner of. their accomplishment, readily will be .understood from the following description on reference to the accompanymg drawings, in which- Fig. 1vis a top plan view of my improved switch, with the cover removed from the I Fig. 2 is a similar view, with the cover in place.

e Fig. 3 is a section, taken substantially on line III-III of Fig. 2. J v Fig. 4 is a section, taken substantially on line. IV-IV of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawings in detail,

, the switch casing com rises a hollow cylinder of dielectric material, such as bakelite or vulcanized rubber, lindicated by reference numeral 5, havin a removable top cover 6 and a separable ase 7, either or both of which may be made of` aluminum, AorA any vother met-al desired, though the base should be a good conductor, since itv referably serves as a ground connection, ans saidtop and base may be securedto vsaid cylinder in any preferred manner. lTo facilitate attaching the switch to a hollow' support, the base 7 has a hollow neck 8, which may be annular, or of any other cross-sectional configuration desired.

A control lever 9, of resilient wire, such as spring steel or other metal that is a good conductor, and preferably in one piece, .is bent to form an ofset 10 and a helix 11, and terminates in a helical, or semi-helical, portion 12, adapted to be sprung into, and retained in, a recess between a cut-away portion of the end of the cylinder.5 andthe base 6, theshape and dimensions of said lever beingsuch that it tends to remain central with respect tosaidcylinder.' The upper end of said lever extends through an opening in the top 6, from which four slots,

13, 14. 15 and 16 respectively, radiate at rightsangles to `each other, and said leverl terminates in a button 17, made of any preferred dielectric material. In line with said slots, four binding posts, 18, 19, 20 and 21 respectively, are mounted symmetrically in the cylinder 5, each being threaded at its inner end, and rovided with avnut and a washer, and sai posts serving as terminals for four wires, 22, 23, 24 and 25. respectively,

each of which is insulated, and all of which,

lead together through the neck .8 of the b ase 7 .of the switch casing, and thence to their connections with the various units of the wiring system in which the switch is used. e

To each of the binding posts 18, 19 and 20, is attached a contact-clip 26, of resilient wire of low resistance, bent to U-shape where it is" secured to the binding post, having two legs extending upward therefrom, and said legs As a,t `plcal illustration of the use of. my im rove switch, let it be assumedthat the o bind? nec vv8, -and hence the control lever 9, is f' grounded; that the wire connectedwith the inclln'g post 18 Aleads to the visual signal'of an automobile indicating a right-han turn;

that binding post 19 is connected with the horn, or other audible signal; that a visual signal connected with binding post 20 indicates a left-hand turn; and that the wire leading from binding post 21 is connected with a visual signal indicating a stop. Under these assumed conditions, if the switch lever be moved into either slot 13 or slot 15, thereby making 'contact with the clips connected with binding posts 18 or 20, respectively, the oset 10 will at the same time be brought into contact with one of the legs of clip 28, and thus the turn signal will be accentuated, by having the stop signal shown coincidentally therewith. When, however, the control lever is moved into slot 14, only the signal connected with binding post 19 will be actuated, and movement of said lever into slot 16 will cause actuation o only one signal.

When moved manually into any one of the slots in the top 6, a sufficient distance to close the circuit or circuits aie'cted by such movement, the control lever will be retained yieldingly in circuit-closing position, due to itsI entry into slot 27 of the contact-clip, until released manually therefrom, such release being effected by radial movement of said lever.

Various modifi/cations'of minor details of my improved switch doubtless readily will suggest themselves to those skilled in the art to which it appertains, and I therefore do not desire to be limited to the exact forms of construction or arrangement of parts that are shown and described herein.

Having now fully disclosed the invention, what is claimed is 1. A switch, comprising a casing having a plurality of individual contacts therein, and a control'lever movable selectively into engagement with said contacts, said lever being bent to helical form, whereby it is yieldingly retained normally in neutral position.

2. A switch, comprising a casing having a plurality of individual contacts therein,

and a control lever being bent to helical form, and resiliently movable selectively into engagement with said contacts, earch of said contacts embodying means for engaging said lever at a distance from the helix thereof, and thereby retaining said lever yieldingly in circuit-closing position.

3. A switch, comprising a hollow cylindrical casing having a plurality of individual wires leading thereinto, a binding post for each of said wires, a contact member within said casing connected with each of said binding posts, said contact members extending radially inward, and each comprising two resilient parts substantially contacting intermediate their length and being spaced apart at each side of said contacting portion, and a control lever resiliently movable selectively into engagement between the parts of said contact members, and past said contacting portions thereof, whereby it will be yieldingly retained in such engagement, an extension for each of the inner ends of one pair of said contact-member parts, continuing outward and downward in a tangential plane, and a lateral extension from said lever embodying means for engaging one of said extensions, during engagement of said lever with another of said contact members.

4. A switch, comprising a hollow casing having a plurality of individual wires leading thereinto, a binding post foreach of said wires, a contact member within said casing connected with each of said binding posts, said contact members extending radially inward, a'nd each comprising two resilient parts, substantially contacting intermediate.`

their length and being spaced apart at each side of said contacting portions; and a control lever resiliently movable selectively into engagement between the pa'rts of said contact members, and past said contacting port-ions thereof, whereby it will be yieldingly retained in such engagement, continuations of the inner ends of one pair of said contact members, said continuations each extending 'outward and downward in a: tangential plane, and a lateral extension from said lever embodying means for engaging one of said extensions, during engagement of said lever with another of said contact members.

In testimony of the foregoing, I a'iiix my signature.

NATHAN R. MAYOZA. 

